Abkhazia

Abkhazia is a Caucasian republic located within the Republic of Georgia's claimed borders, with Sukhumi serving as its capital. During the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, many Abkhazians opposed Georgian independence due to fears that they would lose their autonomy, and Abkhazians demanded independence. This led to outbreaks of violence from 1989 to 1992, and, on 25 August 1990, Abkhazia declared autonomy. On 23 July 1992, Abkhazia declared independence during the Georgian Civil War, and Abkhazia ethnically cleansed Georgians from their new country. Russian peacekeeping forces arrived in Abkhazia to protect Abkhazian independence from Georgia, and violence occasionally flared up, including the Russo-Georgian War of 2008. On 26 August 2008, Abkhazia was recognized as an independent state by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. In 2015, Abkhazia had a population of 243,206 people.